Panel View for Keep

Since discovering the API for creating panels in Chrome, I’ve written a few different extensions to leverage it for specific services. The most downloaded of these (and the one that I use on a daily basis) is for Google’s note-taking service, Keep.

This project is discontinued.

Panel View for Keep has gone through several iterations, simply because it runs on a service and website out of my control. As Google updated Keep, I have had to rewrite and even scrap entire blocks of code. That said, Keep is still a worthwhile service, and in my (not quite unbiased) opinion, turning it into a panel — instead of a separate app window — improves it.

FAQ

I don’t get it. This just opens Google Keep in a new tab.

Not so! This extension serves as a shortcut to keep.google.com, but also much more. You’ll find at the bottom of Keep’s sidebar (click the hamburger icon () to open it), a new link entitled “Send to Panel.” Click that and you’re on your way.

When I click “Send to Panel,” it opens a popup window, not a panel.

Unfortunately, Chrome disables the panel API by default. To override this, you’ll need to enable it in chrome:flags and restart Chrome. Now you’re ready to use panels.

Why can’t I upload an image when Keep is in panel view?

This is a known bug with panels. Read more about this issue on crbug.com.

Notes

This is just a panelized shortcut to keep.google.com. If Google releases an API for interacting with Keep, I will be more than happy to incorporate it! Until then, it’s a hack. A hack I’m proud of, but a hack nonetheless.

3.0Complete rewrite of the override stylesheet!
Moved the “Add note” area to the bottom of the panel, to match the Android app. It creates a new note in full-screen, again just like the Android app.
Modified the toast to match the Android app.
Fixed Share Note screen in the panel.
The panel view now persists across sessions.
Fixed bug where Keep in a tab would not close when switching to a panel.
Fixed console errors due to invalid window and tab IDs.

2.8.2Fixed bug where reminders were not visible in single note view.

2.8.1Fixed bug where checklist notes without a title were being hidden in the collapsed list view.

2.6Updated individual note view to take up the full height of the window (only for small window sizes).

2.5Fixed CSS bug when the Share button on a note is clicked without first opening the note.
Fixed toolbar icon. The 2.4 update had the wrong icon by accident.
Added keep-sharing.google.com to permissions.

2.4Cleaned up remaining unused options dialog code.

2.3No longer opens existing tab ID if the tab is not on Keep anymore.

2.2Removed permissions for storage and context menus, and associated scripts.
Removed options, because the only option was to enable context menus, which are now removed.
Removed storage for whether to open in tab or panel. By default, Panel View will now always open in a tab, in a new browser session.

2.1Added keep.google.com to the list of permissions. (keep.google.com previously redirected to drive.google.com/keep, but it doesn’t.)

2.0Changes to reflect Google’s updated look for the Keep website.

1.8Fixed some wonky styling. Yes, “wonky” is a word, because I said so.

1.7Added a “Send to” icon on the rightmost side of the black bar, which enables easy switching between tab and panel.
User account switching!
Options page moved to an in-window dialog. The only option for now is the context menu toggle. The extension itself will remember in which view you last opened Keep.

Can you implement a way to easily bring this up in Gmail and Google Calendar? Google has Google Tasks there right now (and I’m sure they’re planning on replacing Tasks with Keep, but not sure when that’s going to happen) and I’d like to be able to quickly bring up my “ToDo list” right away while I’m in those screens.

Secondly, can you make it so the panel can be resized horizontally? I can resize it vertically, but it’s too wide for me to see some of the screen (I’d rather it be the same width as the Tasks panel that Google has for Gmail).

Can you implement a way to easily bring this up in Gmail and Google Calendar? Google has Google Tasks there right now (and I’m sure they’re planning on replacing Tasks with Keep, but not sure when that’s going to happen) and I’d like to be able to quickly bring up my “ToDo list” right away while I’m in those screens.

Secondly, can you make it so the panel can be resized horizontally? I can resize it vertically, but it’s too wide for me to see some of the screen (I’d rather it be the same width as the Tasks panel that Google has for Gmail).

Just a heads up, it looks like Google removed panel support in Chrome 54.0.2840.59 m for all platforms except ChromeOS. You might want to update the Chrome store to let people know. I’ve been using your extension for a few years now and loved it. I am very sad to see this happen.